Understanding Radon Levels: What Your Test Results Mean
Radon testing is essential for home safety, but understanding your results is just as important. Learn what different radon levels mean and how to take action if needed.
Spring Home Maintenance: Why It’s the Perfect Time to Test for Radon
Spring home maintenance isn’t just about cleaning—it’s about protecting your home. Learn why testing for radon in the spring can make a big difference in your indoor air quality and health.
Understanding Radon Gas and Tarion’s Warranty Coverage
Radon Gas: A Growing Concern for Homeowners In recent years, awareness of radon gas exposure has increased, especially among new home buyers. Health Canada released a report in 2012 stating that long-term exposure to radon gas could be responsible for up to 16% of lung cancer cases. As a result, more attention is being given to radon-related risks and mitigation measures in residential properties. Tarion’s Warranty Coverage for Radon Gas Tarion has established guidelines for addressing radon gas claims under its home warranty coverage. If radon levels exceed Health Canada’s recommended limit of 200 Bq/m³, the issue is eligible for coverage under Tarion’s warranty program. To ensure consistency in warranty decisions, Tarion employees follow a specific set of guidelines when evaluating radon-related claims. Radon Warranty Coverage Breakdown First-Year Warranty: Second-Year Warranty: Years 3-7: Major Structural Defect (MSD) Coverage: Limitations of Tarion’s Radon Coverage While Tarion provides some protection for homeowners dealing with radon issues, there are limitations to what is covered: Financial Cap on Radon Claims For purchase agreements signed on or after February 1, 2021, Tarion’s maximum warranty coverage for radon gas remediation is $50,000 per home. This coverage is intended to address the costs associated with mitigating radon levels that exceed 200 Bq/m³, as per Health Canada’s guidelines. For homes with agreements signed before February 1, 2021, the previous financial cap of $15,000 per home still applies. Homeowner Requirements for a Radon Claim To file a valid radon claim with Tarion, homeowners must provide the following documentation: Next Steps for Homeowners Lack of Awareness Among Homeowners Despite the availability of radon coverage under Tarion, many homeowners remain unaware of these protections. In many cases, builders do not proactively inform buyers about radon risks or warranty coverage. As radon awareness continues to grow, it is essential for homeowners to educate themselves and take proactive steps in testing and mitigating radon in their homes. Need Help with Radon Testing or Mitigation? For professional radon testing and mitigation services, contact Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros to ensure your home is safe from radon exposure.
Radon 101: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know
What is Radon? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that forms from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It seeps into homes through cracks in foundations, gaps around pipes, and other openings. Because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, radon can accumulate in indoor spaces without detection, posing significant health risks. The Health Risks of Radon Exposure Radon and Lung Cancer Exposure to elevated radon levels is a leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. According to Health Canada, radon exposure is responsible for approximately 16% of lung cancer deaths each year. Smokers who are also exposed to radon have an even higher risk of developing lung cancer. How Common is Radon in Canadian Homes? Health Canada’s National Radon Survey found that up to 44% of homes in certain regions exceed the recommended radon guidelines. While most testing has been conducted in residential properties, radon is also present in workplaces, schools, and commercial buildings. Radon and Building Codes in Canada National Building Code Requirements The National Building Code of Canada includes specific measures to facilitate radon mitigation in new constructions. These provisions make it easier to install a full mitigation system if post-occupancy radon testing reveals high levels. Key Building Code Requirements: Important Considerations for Homeowners While these building measures are valuable, they do not fix radon on their own. If radon levels are high, a mitigation system must be activated by a C-NRPP-certified Radon Professional. Homeowners should: Protecting Low-Income Canadians from Radon Exposure Ensuring that all Canadians have access to radon-safe homes requires additional measures, including: How to Reduce Radon Levels in Your Home Testing for Radon The only way to know if your home has high radon levels is to conduct a radon test. Short-term and long-term radon test kits are available, but Health Canada recommends a long-term test (at least 90 days) for the most accurate results. Professional Radon Mitigation If testing reveals radon levels above the recommended limit (200 Bq/m³), mitigation is necessary. A certified radon professional can install an active radon mitigation system, which typically involves: Take Action Today Radon is a serious but preventable health risk. Protect your family by:✅ Testing your home for radon.✅ Ensuring builders follow radon mitigation guidelines.✅ Advocating for stronger enforcement of building codes and workplace protections. Need Professional Radon Testing or Mitigation? Contact Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros for expert radon testing and mitigation services. Ensure your home is safe and radon-free!
Radon Potential with Home Inspections
Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros, Serving areas of Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford, Cambridge, Goderich, Woodstock and Southwestern Ontario. Radon Potential with Home Inspections The home purchase is one of the most important purchases you will make in your life time, therefore the home inspection is a very important aspect of this purchase. However, the inspection is only a visual inspection and not invasive. In most cases, the inspector can find hidden troubles of the home and inform you of these defects. By looking at the way the home is structured and the internal functions of the home, an extra set of eyes can report on many of these areas of the home to inform clients of defects normally not found by an untrained eye. During the home inspection, odour in the home can be detected. If so, Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros can help eliminate the odours and bacteria left behind from the previous owners with Ozone shock treatments. Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros can also can install a Terminator in the furnace duct system to help eliminate toxins in the air of the home. Radon testing should also be part of the home inspection process. When having this test completed in the home this should be completed by a licensed and qualified person. Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros carries this license. Alder Creek is a member of CARST which is the governing body for Radon. http://www.c-nrpp.ca
What is Radon?
Radon is the natural radioactive element uranium and is present everywhere in rocks and soil. The radio active decay of uranium produces radium, which in turn decays to Radon, a radiocative colourless and odourless inert gas. As it is a gas, it can move easily through bedrock and soil and escape into the outdoor air or seep into a home or building. All soil contains uranium, so Radon is present in all types of soils. Radon that moves from the ground to the outdoor is rapidly diluted to low concentrations and is not a health concern. The air pressure inside a building is lower than in the soil surrounding the foundation. This draws in the gases, including Radon , through openings in the foundation where it is in contact with the ground. This includes construction joints, gaps, around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sums, cracks in foundation walls, and in floor slabs, and in openings in concrete block walls. Once inside the building, Radon can accumulate to high levels and becomes a long term health concern. Although High Radon concentrations are associated with some geological formations, types of soil, housing tye, and foundation construction vary so much from place to place that “Radon Potential maps” are poor indicators of the Radon concentration in an individual home. Even similar houses next to each other can vary different average Radon concentrations. The only way to know if a home has a high Radon concentration is to measure the Radon Concentration.
Radon Potential
Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to test several homes in area’s of Waterloo Region and surrounding. The Radon Content in Waterloo Region and the surrounding area shows consistent with the Ontario map which was supplied by Health Canada. Every home has Radon. The key is the amount of Radon Content in the soils under the homes and building we live and work in. The threshold limit for Radon according to health Canada is 200Bq/m3. The lowest test I have completed was 27Bq/m3. The highest is well beyond the 200Bq/m3 limit. Radon is directly related to more than 3200 deaths per year in Canada alone. Of all the tests I have completed, only one falls into the guarded category. The balance fall into the high and elevated areas. The tests should be completed in areas of concrete slab – soil contact, and where people and pets live in these areas for 4 or more hours per day.
Home Inspections Along with Radon & Indoor Air Quality
With indoor air quality becoming a greater issue over the past several years, Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros has spent the time and energy to become a Radon License carrier. Radon in Ontario is a substantial issue. Radon is the largest cause of Lung Cancer among the non smoking public. Radon is also the largest cause of Lung Cancer next to smoking being the largest cause of lung cancer. Every home has Radon present. The key is to have your home tested for Radon to ensure your home is a healthy place to live. Most people forget about the place of work, we spend a good portion of our days working in buildings which are no different than our homes for Radon related issues. If some one is thinking of finishing their basement to use for a family room or an extension of their home a test should be completed before renovations are completed. Do Home Inspections Help Detect Radon? Radon cannot be detected by a regular home inspection, this is a very specific test that need to be completed and monitored by a licensed Radon professional. Alder Creek also completes various other indoor air quality testing. Alder Creek Radon Gas Pros is proud to be part of the Medallion Healthy Home Group along with part of the Respir-Care group this makes Alder Creek a good fit to check and monitor clients indoor air quality issues.
7 Ways to Cancer-Proof Your Home
Helping In Ways to Help Cancer Proof Your Home Cancer is a threat to every person on the planet. Although scientists are unclear as to why some people get cancer and others do not, there are known factors that increase your risk of being diagnosed with this deadly disease. Cancer develops when your cells are damaged but do not self-destruct or are not destroyed by your immune system. They then mutate and begin to multiply out of control. That is why it is essential to cancer proof your home. Many things can lead to the initial cellular damage. Environmental pollution, nutritional deficiency, overall physical health, and family history are evaluated when cancer is detected. As individuals, it is important to minimize as many “outside” influences in regards to cancer as possible. Risks that we can personally change are a step in the right direction. Maintaining a healthy bodyweight, quitting smoking, and avoiding too much unprotected exposure to ultraviolet light are well known changes you can make to your lifestyle to lower your risk. Radon Testing: One of the Ways To Help Cancer Proof Your Home There are several others that are not as commonly known… Cancer-Proof Your Home in 7 Steps Taking one room at a time, you can “cancer proof” much of your home within a few days. You’ll breathe, sleep, and eat easier.
